So, How are YOU doing with the Digital Transition?

I Just have to ask…How do you like the Digital Transition so far?

I’ve heard a few complaints but for the most part everybody seems to be adapting well. At least, those that still continue to use their antennas. Some that used to have antenna switched over to cable or satellite and the main complaint about that is the monthly fee. (They’re adapting to paying for something they used to get for free.)

Most people seem to be happy with their satellite systems, but most I heard from were on satellite before the transition and were already getting their locals from satellite. Same goes for those on cable before the transition.

Some have taken the opportunity to change their systems over to HD and they are loving the improved  picture quality.

Trust me, if you are experiencing problems, I understand the frustrations from all sides. Antenna, Satellite and Cable all have drawbacks in some form or other. I love my Dish Network satellite system and one of my good friends loves his DirecTV satellite. The only thing I hear about Cable is that it is good and their HD stuff looks good, too. (Mostly they like the speed of their internet.)

Some have had problems with their digital reception from cable and, just like everyone else, it seems they aren’t exempt from problems either.

I haven’t had any problems with satellite but Some people have had to add new dishes along with their new receivers.

There have been a few situations I have had to deal with concerning off-air reception from antenna. Overall, and everything considered, most installations are looking and working pretty good for now.

Well, whatever the situation or problems with your reception, whether from Antenna, Satellite or Cable, for now you will have to deal with it as best you can because the transition is here to stay. Rest assured that eventually everything will settle in.

We will re-visit the DTV subject whenever it is necessary but for now the Digital Transition for high powered Tv broadcasts is complete and it is time for us to move on to other situations and problems at hand.  So, tune in next time for the Norman TV View … (that’s the NTV View for short.)

See ya next time…
Rusty

© June 2009 – all rights reserved

(all views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer)

Norman TV & Video Systems and Rusty Norman

S3 Media Player Software and Subscibers Only Music Training Website

The Digital Transition is DONE

If you are seeing nothing but snow on your TV, you are NOT ready for the Digital Transition. Now there is no need to panic, but you do have a few things to take care of before you will be able to watch your local channels off of your antenna.

If you have questions about the transition, we have plenty of information right here on the Norman TV site and we hope it is helpful to you. If you have questions that are not answered here, just leave a comment be by clicking on the Comments link below this article or:

  • give us a call at 239-481-6611
  • (local calls only for now – but it is your nickle if you call long distance)

Thanks for stopping by…I appreciate it

Rusty Norman – Norman Tv & Video Systems

The Final Countdown: Only 1 Day Left Until the Digital Transition Completes

The digital transition is almost completed and will be on Friday June 12, 2009 for all of you receiving your local broadcast channels from antenna. Good or bad, there will be no turning back.

Although the picture quality is much improved over analog, this transition has not gone without its problems or frustrations. Just remember, this is only for the HIGH POWERED Broadcast Stations and will not affect the low power stations at the present time.

If you have your equipment hooked up and are receiving your digital signals, here is a list of the channels you should be getting in the Naples-Fort Myers DMA (Designated Marketing Area):

11-1 – WINK (CBS)

20-1 – WBBH (NBC)

20-2 – WBBH (2 news now -24 hour news & weather)

26-1 – WZVN (ABC)

26-2 – WZVN (ABC)

30-1 – WGCU (PBS )

30-2 – WGCU (PBS – World)

30-3 – WGCU (PBS – Create)

30-4 – WGCU (PBS – FKN Florida Knowledge Network

36-1 – WFTX  (FOX local affiliate)

46-1 – WXCW (CW ) [also listed as ch 45-1 on antennaweb.org]

49-1 – WRXY (Local Independent – religious)

If you are not receiving all of these channels with your digital reception equipment (converter or TV ) you’re not quite ready.

The Final Countdown: Only 2 More Days to the Digital Transition Completion

Your time is almost up for making an uninterrupted transition to the Digital Broadcast signals if you get your local signals off of some sort of antenna. I don’t want you to panic, but if you haven’t taken care of the necessary items for making the transition complete, you do need to hurry that process.

If you still have an analog TV and you’ve already hooked up your digital-to-analog converter box, you can see what your signal strength is on the little graghic meter most all of them have. The same goes for your Tv with a digital tuner. That graphic can usually be found in the setup menu or, some even make it available under the display or info button on the remote. All of them are different so you will have to find out where it is, (usually it is fairly easy to find.)

After you have found that graphic try each channel and see how it reads the signal strength. You should have a signal above 50% for mote of them to show the channels. In my opinion, a decent reception level should be around 70 % or above and the graphic should be fairly stable.

If it is fluctuating a lot up and down, you probably have, or will have, something affecting the reception on that channel and you may have a little trouble with it now and again. That problem could be noticed as either pixeling (little blocks showing up in the picture) or a thing called “freeze-framing”. Freeze framing is when the picture freezes on an image and the sound becomes intermittent or drops out.

Hopefully, you have all of you channels by now and your reception is good. If not, you may need to re-aim your antenna or have someone re-aim it for you…

The Final Countdown: Only 3 More Days to the Digital Transition Completion

I have to tell you … the remainder of the high powered analog stations are going of the air this Friday, June 12, 2009. If you’re not ready for the last of our local channels to go from the analog to the digital spectrum, you should be, otherwise you are going to be without.

The last two high powered channels in the Naples-Fort Myers DMA (Designated Marketing Area), PBS ch 30 and FOX ch 36 are going to go off this Friday. If you still have an analog only Tv and receive your local channels off of an antenna of some sort, you will need a way to convert the digital channels to your analog Tv.

I realize this is probably useless information for 99.99% percent of you, but if you’re not ready, you will have to take care of a few things very quickly…

The Final Countdown: Only 4 More Days to the Digital Transistion Completion

Over the last several days we’ve talked about making sure you are ready for the Digital Transition. Today is a little review and just a little nudge to make sure you are ready for the transition that will be completed this Friday June the 12th, 2009.

If you don’t use antenna to receive your local broadcast channels, this information is not as important to you. If you receive yours through cable or satellite, you’re ready for the transition.

If you do use antenna to receive your locals, your are defintely running out of time and you need to take steps now to be sure you’re ready.

The Final Countdown: Only 5 More Days to the Digital Transistion Completion

The Digital Transition is closer than you think and if you haven’t made plans for completing your transition, now is a good time to “git ‘r done”. (Sorry, I couldn’t help but quote Larry the Cable Guy.) Probably the most asked question I’ve had concerning the transition is whether or not some should buy a new TV for the digital transition.

I am a firm believer in not buying something you don’t yet need. I base most of my decision on the quality of your picture on your existing analog Tv.

If your Tv still has a good picture then I suggest you just invest in the converter box.

If your Tv has a poor or marginal picture quality, I suggest you go ahead and invest in a new one with full digital reception capabilities. That way you’re not buying something you won’t need for long (the converter box) because the new TV will take care of the picture quality and the digital channel reception.

The Final Countdown: Only 6 More Days to the Digital Transistion Completion

ARE YOU READY FOR THE DIGITAL TRANSITION??? I sure hope so…but you still have several days left to take care of a few details. Do you need a converter box? If so, there are still some to be had but the supplies are probably getting tight by now.

If you need a digital to analog converter box so you can keep on using your old Tv to receive your local off-air channels, I can only say one thing…You’ve waited ’til almost the last minute. I’m sure Radio Shack, Best Buy and some other places still have some but I would be willing to bet, the supply is dwindling a bit. Hurry and get all the loose ends tied up, June 12, 2009 is coming FAST!

The Final Countdown: Only 7 More Days to the Digital Transistion Completion

The Digital Transition will be completed one week from today and if you’re still making plans or having problems with your Digital reception, NOW is the time for taking care of those situations, before it’s too late.

If you receive your local channels from an outdoor antenna and you are not getting all of the available channels for our area, it could be that your antenna has a problem of some sort or it could be worn out. It could be that you need a new antenna or it could be that it is just not pointed in the right direction. Although there are other reasons why your reception leaves something to be desired, usually the problems are related to the antenna or connects between it and your Tv.

Keep on watching “the NTV View” and you will probably find the answer to your question or questions. We are here for you…if you have questions, just leave a comment by clicking on the “comment” link at the bottom of this article.

The Final Countdown: Only 8 More Days to the Digital Transistion Completion

The time is NOW if you haven’t taken care of your transition from analog to digital Tv reception. If you receive your local broadcast signals (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc) and you are not getting all of the channels you think you should in your area, Norman Tv wants you to be ready for June 12, 2009. Over the next 8 days tune in to the NTV View, right here at www.norman-tv.com. Check out all of our information on the Digital transition right here. Got questions?? Leave a comment…

If you use “rabbit ears” (a set top antenna) you may find that reception of the Digital Channels is difficult at best. It is possible that you can get most or all of the available digital channels, but it is more likely that one or two may be missing; Or, you may find you have to adjust your antenna for almost every channel.

Don’t worry about it being something you did or that you have a problem with your TV or converter box — It just means that “rabbit ears” are not going to wokr well for you. You may want to consider an outdoor antenna, or at least one in the attic (if that is possible for you). I won’t go into the details at the moment but you may find some interesting info in one of these articles from Norman Tv: